All That I've Got
by RyoushintekiAikou
Summary: Izaki used to be the new girl in the Akatsuki. But then on a mission she meets someone else. Someone who is destined to turn her life around. SasoDei, OC x OC, Pein x Konan, Itachi x OC. Rated for romance, language, violence, and graphic images. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**All That I've Got**

_**Written by RyoushintekiAikou AKA Hikaru**_

**Summary:** There's a new girl in the Akatsuki and it's not Izaki this time. No, it's a young teenage girl by the name of Nitsuki. She's sixteen years old and there's something about her that's a bit off. She'd been recruited from the Village Hidden in the Sand when Sasori, Deidara, and Izaki were on a mission. It wasn't exactly consensual to have her along but they had no choice when Nitsuki knew close to everything about their mission. But that's not the least of it all. She has to be Izaki's partner and the elder Mukura herself has to train and monitor the girl. Will she get more than she bargained for from Nitsuki? And what happens when things start to seem different between some of the Akatsuki members? Would you give all that you've got just for one person?

**Pairings:** Sasori x Deidara, Izaki x OC, OC x OC, Itachi x Izaki, Pein x Konan

**Warnings:** Yaoi AND (omfg) Yuri, violence, graphic blood, romance, strong language, and some disturbing mental images along the way.

**Dedication:** My dearest friends and supporters on FF, you rock my socks.

**Author's Comments:** Well, I thought about this and was like, 'heck, let's try something new'! So, I hope it's alright. Thanks so much for reading. I love cookies and reviews. The song this is named after is by The Used (awesome band)…

**Copyright:** I do not own Naruto or the Akatsuki organization. I do take copyright for Izaki Mukura and Nitsuki Misuru. This is purely for my, and the reader's, amusement.

- - -

"Get down!" The wall in front of her shattered into millions of pieces, sending smoke everywhere. A muffled curse could be heard along with several tormented screams.

"Dammit, Deidara! How big did you make that bomb?"

"Big enough, un!" spat back another voice. As the smoke started to clear, three teenage-looking figures stood there. One was female whereas the other two were male.

The girl had long, uneven ebony hair and striking violet eyes contrasting with her pale skin vibrantly. One of the boys had unruly maroon hair and mahogany eyes around the color of warm melted chocolate. His features were chiseled, though they were not exactly human. The other male had long blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail with his bangs covering his left eye. His visible eye was an ocean shade of blue, setting off his pale, soft—almost feminine—features.

"Jeez, you're going to be the death of us all; insisting you _must_ blow up everything!" snarled the girl as she swept back her hair with one slim hand. The blonde stuck out his tongue at her.

"Fun-killer, yea!" he accused her. The other male rolled his eyes.

"Are you quite finished bickering like little children?" he snapped at them both. The girl shot him a dirty look before vanishing into the smoke.

"I can't sense the presence of anyone's thoughts. They're all pretty much dead." She paused and then consented in to her next sentence. "All of them were blown into oblivion."

"You know you agree with my art, un. You just don't show it, yea," Deidara accused her.

"Sasori, get him to shut up _please_," she muttered.

"I can't do that, Izaki, unfortunately. Can we get this over with?" sighed back the red-head.

"Fine, then…the scroll we were sent to find is down that way and so is the guy we were supposed to kill," Izaki revealed. She pointed to her left where there was a gaping hole. Sasori nodded absently and climbed back into a large puppet waiting for him next to Deidara.

"Let's go." Sasori took off at a brisk pace, Hiroku's robe swishing against the debris. The other two followed silently behind the puppet master without objection. It was better than being forced to follow after him. Izaki paused for a moment to frown and close her eyes.

"Someone's here." With that said, an arm snaked around her waist and a kunai was pressed to her throat. "Shit."

"Get out of here if you want to live," hissed a voice behind her. Izaki counted to ten very slowly in her head before forming a hand-sign. Vines snaked out of the ground and bound her assailant in place.

"You're too slow." Izaki vanished and reappeared next to Sasori and Deidara, her eyes taking on a reddish tint. From where she was, she could see her attacker was a teenage girl

"Dammit! Lemme go!" shouted the girl indignantly.

"I doubt that's a plausible idea," Izaki objected with a smirk as she headed off again. Sasori shot a look back at the black-haired girl, his expression unreadable due to his puppet shell. Deidara noticed the momentary glance before turning his eye onto the teen.

"What, un…?"

"Don't give me that look, Akasuna no Sasori!" spat Izaki from behind the two males.

"How about you not take that tone with me, Shinen no Izaki Mukura!" retorted Sasori in a clipped tone.

"You're not my mother!" She hesitated for a moment. "You're not my father even!"

"…I would never want to parent such a horrible child like you…" Izaki gave him a heated glare from behind him. "I saw that."

"Just shut up." With that silence fell over the group as they proceeded to a pair of double doors. Deidara easily blew them up and headed in with Sasori and Izaki in tow.

"W-what do you w-want from m-me?" stammered a voice.

"Kill him, Izaki." The girl aimed carefully in a direction that was partially blocked by the smoke. Her wrist twitched backwards and then, in a flash, a kunai came hurtling towards the target. A dull thud was heard as blood started to mingle with the dusty air.

"Why do all people who are about to die think about such random, petty matters?"

"I have no answer to that, Izaki." Deidara disappeared and reappeared a moment later with a scroll in hand.

"Found it, un."

"Let's get out of here, then." They turned and started back the way they came. Along the way they came upon the girl who'd threatened Izaki before. Her deep green eyes were wild as she struggled vainly against her bonds.

"Back again? Let me out of here or else I'll tell everyone what you've just done!" the girl threatened. Izaki's violet eyes tinged with crimson locked with hers for a moment; neither seemed to have any inclination to move.

"Sasori, should we kill her or should we drag her along?"

"A hostage situation where we put out a fake ransom, then eventually slowly kill her?" the red-head questioned. Under the exterior, Izaki had a good idea that he had an eyebrow raised.

"Or we kill her now."

"Or you don't kill her at all." Izaki scowled and gave the girl a glare.

"Very funny…"

"Ya know something? You're kinda funny when you're angry." Izaki's left eye started to twitch as she looked away from the girl.

"Shut the hell up."

"Don't test her temper, un," Deidara advised softly.

"But it's so much fun!"

"Can it before I kill you!" Izaki finally growled. Her tone verged on bloodthirsty as she turned to face the wall behind her. Breathing slowly, the only inclination of the source for her anger was a twitch of her hands.

"Izaki, calm down; we should kill her." Izaki closed her eyes, letting the black overcome the red she was seeing. In her mind, she could feel the presence of ANBU thoughts heading their way.

"Double-time it, Sasori; they know we're here. ANBU are on their way." Izaki formed another hand-sign to release the bonds on the girl. Deidara let out a long sigh as he tossed his clay bird down. He pressed a hand sign to its chin and it grew massively in size.

"Let's go, then, un," he consented.

"Sasori, get on with Deidara and take the girl with you. Throw her off if she annoys you too much," Izaki instructed in a hard voice. "Circle for me a hundred miles from here, but fifty from base."

"Alright." Sasori carefully maneuvered onto the bird with Deidara.

"What about you, yea?"

"Don't worry." A kunai whizzed by her head. "Now go." The clay bird took off into the sky, rising at what would be an alarming rate. Turning back to her current task, Izaki drew seven kunai. Carefully calculating each mark she took aim and threw. Distantly she heard six grunts. Where was her seventh…? A kunai came out of nowhere, and before Izaki could react it pierced her right leg, tearing through the flesh. Blood started to seep out of the wound as she crumpled down into a kneeling position. She tugged out the weapon and threw it right back. A final grunt was heard.

Gingerly she stood and attempted to put pressure on her leg. No luck. Reaching down with her right hand, she muttered something to herself as her hand starting to glow green. Calmly she put her hand over the wound and waited for a moment. After a few seconds, she removed her hand and the green aura vanished. When she tried to walk on her leg again, she only limped slightly.

"Time to go." She hurried off, vanishing in a blur as she flitted away. The miles seemed to race away as the wind whipped her face. The pain in her leg eventually settled down to a dull throb. Eventually, she sensed the presence of Sasori and Deidara above her. She stopped to wait. A large shadow descended upon her, blocking out the fiery sky from the setting sun.

"Get on, yea," Deidara told her. Izaki wasted no time in walking over carefully and sitting down on the large bird. The creature rose again as they started to fly closer to base.

"How are we going to explain her to Leader-sama?" Sasori asked in a tired voice. Izaki shrugged in reply, keeping her eyes low as they ate away at the miles. The red-head didn't push the subject further as the rest of the flight went by in silence. All too soon a rush of wings was heard as the bird touched the ground. Izaki got off and waited for Sasori and Deidara.

"I'm amazed, you didn't chuck her over the edge," Izaki commented lightly.

"You only _wish_," the girl retorted smugly. She chose to ignore that remark as she headed towards a mound in the ground.

"Turn the other way." The girl rolled her eyes but did as she was told. Izaki formed a complicated hand-sign as her ring glowed for a moment. The mound rose up to reveal a doorway into darkness lit only by the faint light of lanterns.

"I'll head down first," Sasori muttered as he dragged himself through the opening and into the yawning cavern. Deidara came after him followed by Izaki and the girl they'd captured.

"You know, I've been with you on this trip for a bit and I still don't really know you're name at all," the girl told Izaki.

"Time tells all." Sasori and Deidara were already gone, but returned within a minute with the scroll. The red-head was outside of Hiroku at the moment.

"Whoa, I thought that he was…" Izaki gave the girl a warning glance and Deidara glared at the girl. "Never mind…" Without hesitation the black-haired girl knocked three times firmly on the door that lead into Pein-sama's lair.

"Leader-sama…it's Sasori and Deidara; they want to see you about the mission we just completed and also about a pressing matter," Izaki announced in an emotionless voice. The door creaked open and she vanished into the darkness. Sasori followed suit as did Deidara, leaving the girl to stumble into the room blindly. The door slammed shut behind her.

"So, was the mission successful?"

"Minor mistakes were made, Leader-sama, but there was the fact that Deidara wouldn't stop arguing," Sasori reported in a bored tone.

"Shinen no Izaki Mukura, age sixteen, S-rank criminal, and one of Orochimaru's former students… How sad… I expect so much better out of you. Out of _all_ of you," snapped a voice from the darkness. Izaki closed her eyes in the darkness, struggling to hold onto the purple color of her eyes.

"Well, gomen, I can't be prefect like everyone expects from me," Izaki replied in a cool voice. "Anyways, Deidara blew up some shit, we almost got fucked over by some random girl, and the guy we were supposed to assassinate was an ass. We got the scroll, though."

"…I'd like to have that…" Deidara walked forward through the dark close to blindly as he held out the scroll. A larger hand took it from him firmly and the blonde walked back to where he'd come from previously.

"The other matter we have is this girl who we brought back with us…" A soft sigh was heard from the darkness.

"Why did you do this?"

"Well, she made a very weak, and pathetic, attempt to kill me. Then I bound her where she was with vines and went on with the mission. On the way back she threatened to tell everyone what we'd just done and who we were. So we tried to decide if we should kill her there or take her with us and kill her then so it wouldn't look suspicious. Then ANBU came and we had to take her along. There was no time for Deidara and Sasori to escape after killing her so we were forced to bring her," Izaki explained in a smooth tone. "What do you say we do with her now?"

"What's her name?"

"My name is Nitsuki." Izaki pursed her lips and glared off in the girl's general direction. This was taking longer than necessary. The smell of musk and mud started to fill her nose, making her slightly dizzy.

"I think you should kill her, Izaki."

"If that is what you wish."

"No, wait!" Silence fell over the group. "I…I want to join the Akatsuki…"

"I object, Leader-sama, if that's alright. She has no talent whatsoever as a kunoichi and she is an embarrassment to the ninja name," Izaki interjected.

"I will take that into consideration. I will give her a week to improve. She'll be under your care, Izaki, for the time being. If she fails the test at the end of the week, then we will kill her," Leader-sama finally replied in a low voice. Izaki sighed.

"As you so wish."

"You may leave. _All_ of you." The door swung open with a groan and the occupants of the room left without another word. Once outside in the light of the hallway, Sasori smirked at Izaki.

"Now you're a babysitter, Izaki." She glared at him hatefully before turning to Nitsuki. The girl stared at her with her head tilted to the side slightly. Her forest green eyes bored into Izaki quizzically and her flaming orange hair hung next to her pale face lightly.

"Izaki…I've heard your name before…"

"I'm sure a lot of people have." With that Izaki headed off down the hallway and to her room with Nitsuki in tow. Once they reached Izaki's room, she pushed open the door and disappeared inside. There were two beds in the room, one of which was made up completely with nothing surrounding it. The other bed closest to the farthest corner of the wall was cluttered with various scrolls. A desk sat under the window and candles were placed precariously on a nightstand table, the desk, and on top of books. Several diagrams of the human mind and body were placed around the bed farthest away.

On the desk there were various pieces of charcoal and paper. Several pictures were stuck to the wall for safety and others were stacked neatly to the left of the desk. The room smelled of roses, lilacs, oranges, and rain. This puzzled Nitsuki because Izaki seemed so…cold and distant…

"The bathroom is across the hall. Deidara and Sasori's room is, not the first, but the second door down from the bathroom on that side of the wall. In between their room and the bathroom is a towel closet. Next door on the left are Kakuzu and Hidan. On the right there's Itachi and Kisame. After Kakuzu and Hidan are Tobi and Zetsu. Be forewarned; don't piss of Itachi, Hidan is a Jashinist and a pervert, Kakuzu will kill you if you defile his room with pink or steal his money, and Sasori is a puppet master with a short temper. Deidara will blow you up if needs be. Tobi is creepy. Zetsu is liable to eat you.

"We are all criminals with no exact conscious so be warned about that. Sasori and Deidara argue about the lifespan of art almost every day. If you find body parts, they either belong to Zetsu or Sasori." She paused. "Deidara likes to blow shit up a lot. Sasori has over one hundred seventy-five hitokugutsu—puppets. I, myself, have really no regret for inflicting pain on you or others. If you find blood around the room, it's probably mine. I bleed just to know I'm alive sometimes.

"If a creepy snake man comes in here, kick his ass if you can or just run and find me. When I want to be alone, I will kill you if you come anywhere near me. Pein-sama runs this place and he is liable to give the go to kill you. Konan is somewhere around here and, honestly, she and Leader-sama have something… But anyways, that's the standard format of life here," Izaki finally explained in a calm voice. Nitsuki's eyes widened as she stared at the girl.

"You know, inflicting yourself with pain purposely shouldn't be something you're used to…" she managed to say. Why did she get so tongue-tied talking to Izaki…?

"Those around me never had a problem with it. So I don't have a problem with it, personally. I make my own choices," Izaki responded softly. She went over and sat down at the desk. She picked up a piece of charcoal and twirled it between her fingers, coloring them black.

"Izaki…" The girl looked away so that Nitsuki couldn't see the light blush starting to form on her pale cheeks.

"Look, maybe you should rest…" The red-haired girl nodded and lay down on the unoccupied bed.

"Nyah…" Izaki watched quietly as her eyes started to close. As soon as Nitsuki was soundly asleep the girl turned to a new sheet of paper and started to sketch the sleeping girl. Her face was so serene and…beautiful…when she was asleep. Upon finishing the sketch she stowed it under her bed and headed out of the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.


	2. Chapter 2

**All That I've Got**

_**Written by RyoushintekiAikou AKA Hikaru**_

**Pairings:** Sasori x Deidara, Izaki x OC (OC x OC), Itachi x Izaki (Itachi x OC), Pein x Konan

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Yuri, violence, graphic blood, romance, strong language, and some disturbing mental images along the way. Rating may change as the story goes.

**Copyright:** I do not own Naruto or the Akatsuki organization. I do take copyright for Izaki Mukura and Nitsuki Misuru. This is purely for my, and the reader's, amusement.

- - -

"You know, Izaki, I think she kind of likes you in the non-platonic way," a voice commented lightly behind the black-haired girl.

"Don't joke with me, Sasori," she spat back in a cold voice as she spun around to head out of the Akatsuki lair.

"You know it too. You can hear her thoughts. See if you can lie about what she's thinking."

"I won't lie about what you're thinking. You're telling yourself that there's no way you like me in any way that's non-platonic because you love Deidara. And that you should probably start doing something about it soon but you don't know how." She paused before continuing. "Oh, and you're wondering what I think about it and if you can talk with me about 'normal' relationships." Izaki grimaced momentarily before starting to walk away. She could feel the red-head's eyes glaring into her back.

"You certainly know how to cross the line, Shinen no Izaki Mukura," he hissed, suddenly pinning her to a wall. Izaki stared at him through impassive eyes.

"Do you want to know something? I can hear Nitsuki's thoughts. She's thinking about food right now and a million new ways to annoy me just to get my attention. And I'm thinking that you should probably let go of me and that beating the shit out of you if I could is a good idea," Izaki told him quietly. Her violet eyes met Sasori's russet eyes without flinching.

"You think that you're so smart, Izaki…" he snapped. She tilted her head to the side slightly.

"Deidara's waking up." True to her words the door to Sasori's room started to creak open slowly. "You _might_ want to let go of me before he gets the wrong idea." Sasori let her go without another word. Izaki turned and headed out of the lair, her lithe form disappearing from view within moments.

"Bitch…" Sasori cussed her out when she was gone.

"What, un?" Deidara asked curiously as he headed over.

"It's nothing." The door to Izaki's room creaked open and Nitsuki stood there, her eyes unreadable.

"Did Izaki go out?" she inquired in a soft voice.

"Yes, she did," Sasori replied. Nitsuki nodded absently.

"Did she want to be alone?"

"I don't know. She only told me about what I was thinking, what she was thinking, and what you were thinking before walking off," Sasori sighed. Nitsuki's eyes took on a mischievous glint. Stepping out of the doorway she shut the wooden door behind her with a soft click. Raking one hand through her orange hair she smiled wryly.

"What was she thinking anyways?" Sasori turned his head away. It was good he didn't have the ability to blush or else this would be more awkward than it had to be.

"When she told me what I was musing about, she pissed me off and I shoved her against the wall. Then she said that she was thinking that I should probably let her go and that she'd beat the shit out of me if she could when I let her down," Sasori finally explained reluctantly. Nitsuki blinked at him slowly.

"Do you guys like each other or something?" Sasori spun and glared at her.

"No!"

"I'd like it if you'd stay out of my relationship matters," a curt voice cut through the conversation. Slowly, the three turned to see Izaki standing there with a bloody kunai in one hand and a gash on her opposite arm.

"Can't you control your brat?" Sasori sneered. Izaki stared at him calmly.

"I can't even control myself sometimes. And you rarely have power over Deidara," Izaki replied smoothly. The puppet master gave her a hard stare.

"Remind me again why I didn't kill you when I first found you half-dead on the side of the road," he muttered.

"You didn't because I'm so freakin' adorable and likeable." With that Izaki headed back into her room with Nitsuki in tow. Deidara gaped after them for what seemed to be the longest time. Sasori pursed his lips and headed back to his room, leaving Deidara in the middle of the hall.

Izaki sat on her bed in the corner of her shared room, eyes down on the floor. Her breathing was partial to being harsh and uneven. Her hair, which she usually kept back, now hung in her face. She looked pale and sick as she rubbed the back of her neck with her uninjured left hand. The wound from before she'd wrapped in a bandage before sitting down.

Nitsuki watched her from across the room, feeling slightly helpless at the moment. She could practically smell the bitter tang of pain rising off of Izaki. For a fleeting second, Nitsuki wondered if Izaki would even let her near her in her state of disorientation.

"Izaki…?" The girl raised her eyes momentarily before dropping them again.

"What's up?"

"Are you alright…?" Nitsuki asked in a faint tone. Izaki flashed a small, crooked grin.

"No, I'm beyond help." There was the sound of breaking glass as Izaki let out a small hiss of disdain. In the room now stood a snow-white figure with malicious snake-like eyes and long black hair. Around one arm a snake had curled itself up.

"So nice to see you again, Izaki, and you have a friend. I hope that you do pass on some of your teachings to her," laughed the figure.

"Screw you and burn in hell." Izaki stood shakily and drew a kunai. "Get out. Or I'll notify every member in the Akatsuki lair at this moment that you're here."

"But then I'd have to unnecessarily pin you against a wall and make it seem like I would kill you if they tried to come near me. It'd be such a waste to take your life," the man replied.

"Orochimaru, I'm _warning_ you to get out of here." Izaki's eyes were draining from their normal lilac color into a scarlet. The door flew open suddenly and Sasori entered. His eyes were cold as a puppet followed him in with chakra strings attaching him to it.

"How sad, Izaki…you're so weak you can't protect yourself against me," Orochimaru scoffed. Nitsuki sat looking dumbfounded on her bed, trying to comprehend the sudden turn in events.

"You're not worth my energy." Another figure entered the room. The stature was of a male and the face was most definitely a male. The teen's face was pale with chiseled features and sharp onyx eyes. Faded coal-colored locks were pulled into a low ponytail with two equal parts framing his face. This person was tall and seemed to tower over almost everyone in the room.

"Orochimaru," the man acknowledged coldly.

"Itachi Uchiha," Orochimaru laughed. "How sad, Izaki, now you're hiding behind your fellow members?" The black-haired girl pursed her lips, refusing to give in to his tormenting.

"So sorry I could never be everything you wanted me to be, Orochimaru-_sensei_." Her voice was bitter as she practically spat out the words. She raised her left arm with the kunai and prepared to throw it.

"The only thing I never taught you was discipline," Orochimaru hissed. A sudden, yet familiar, burning sensation started on the left side of Izaki's neck. Her right hand shot out for the nearest object to support her as she struggled not to fall. Her eyes looked unfocused as she used the same kunai from before and drew a thin line across a certain spot on her neck.

"Damn you to hell," whispered Izaki as her vision started to slant. She shook her head in vain, trying to hold on to reality. Laughter filled her ears as her head hit the floor and she blacked out.

When Izaki slowly started to regain consciousness, she was lying on a bed and someone was sitting next to her on a stool. Said-person had black eyes and was practically monitoring her every move. As her eyes started to flutter open she was grateful for how low the lights were turned down. She was also vividly aware that this was not her room.

"You're awake," sighed the person sitting next to her. Through the faint light she could make out Itachi's frame against the black canvas behind him.

"Why is Orochimaru such an ass?" A low chuckle could be heard.

"It's because he just is." Izaki let out a soft sigh and sat up carefully. The room around her seemed to spin momentarily before she made sense of her surroundings.

"Was Nitsuki so crazy you couldn't leave me there with her?" Izaki joked with a grimace as she rubbed her temples. Itachi carefully watched her move, making sure she wouldn't randomly fall.

"Yes…actually…and she fainted afterwards. Sasori and Deidara left her that way when they went back to their room," Itachi finally explained. Izaki smiled dryly.

"Well, so goes life…" She carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed, ensuring she wouldn't accidentally hit Itachi. Leaning her elbows onto her knees she rested her chin in her palms.

"Mmhmm…" Izaki glanced over at him, suddenly realizing that she was staring into the darkness that was Itachi's eyes. They were closer than they naturally were. Sure, they were close friends after they'd broken up a year ago but… Itachi gently placed his lips against hers. Izaki seemed stunned for a moment, not even reacting. Slowly comprehension dawned on her as she relaxed. The kiss lasted approximately fifteen seconds before Itachi broke away. Izaki looked at the door quietly.

"I should be getting back soon."

"You know it's never too late…" His voice was emotionless but his eyes were soft. Izaki bit her lip and stared harder at the door, trying to keep it in focus.

"I need to go soon…" His hand came to rest on her arm as he stared at her inexpressive face.

"'zaki…" Izaki turned her head away and quickly stood.

"I really need to go." With those words said she headed for the door, not even daring to look behind her. She could feel his gaze burning into her back, sending shivers down her spine. The door opened before she even touched it, though. A seven foot tall male with blue skin and spiky indigo hair and shark-like eyes stood there, staring down at her.

"Well, well, well… There the elusive Izaki Mukura is," sneered the man.

"Screw you, Kisame."

"You've gone around a lot and said that lately," remarked Kisame. Izaki tried in vain to get around him.

"Whatever…" Kisame still refused to move, smirking down at Izaki.

"You want to know something I find amusing?"

"Not especially…"

"What I find amusing is how your little friend started talking about you when she was asleep. Such as how serene your face is and how beautiful it makes you look…every breath that you take the air seems to radiate around you—" Izaki threw a hard punch at his gut. Kisame let her hit him, laughing at her futile attempts to hurt him.

"Shut the hell up." Her voice was cold as she managed to sidestep Kisame and headed for her room.

"You're just angry because you know you feel the same way."

"I don't feel," Izaki hissed as she quickened her pace.

"At least that's what you tell yourself because you do," Kisame shot after her.

"Let her be," Itachi's voice reached Izaki's ears. There was a snort of disdain as a door closed. Izaki didn't want to believe what Kisame had said was true. Leaning her forehead against the dirt wall outside of her door she drew in a long breath.

"Ignoring it won't make it go away," Sasori's voice rang through her head. Izaki let out an irritable sigh. She knew that already. Stepping back from the wall she wiped off her forehead and prepared herself for the worst. Placing one hand on the doorknob she twisted it and entered the darkened room. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could make out Nitsuki sitting quietly on her bed by the door.

"We haven't even made it through the day and already things are going to hell," Izaki commented softly from the doorway. She closed the door behind her with a light click and headed to the desk.

"That man…"

"Kisame," Izaki informed her as she settled into the stool in front of the desk, being careful not to misplace her Akatsuki cloak.

"Kisame," repeated Nitsuki slowly. "Did he tell you about what I said in my sleep?" Izaki pursed her lips and shifted slightly. Nitsuki didn't notice the movement.

"No." Her voice was flat. It made it harder to detect if she was lying or not. Nitsuki bit her bottom lip as she stared at Izaki's small form on the stool. Her eyes were cast into shadow due to the dim light.

"You're lying." Izaki didn't answer as she stood and unbuttoned her cloak. She let the garment rest on her arm as she walked over to lay it on her bed. Nitsuki could see how small and fragile Izaki was at this point. Her form was thin and she was of medium height. Her skin was almost sickly pale and there were various cuts on her arms that her mesh shirt didn't cover.

"You don't have any proof I am."

"You're not denying it."

"I'm not admitting to it either."

"You're a liar and you know it." Izaki pivoted to glare at Nitsuki through blazing crimson eyes. Nitsuki should've shrunk back against the wall but instead she sat there and stared. Even through the darkness she could see the outline of Izaki's collarbone and the way her shirt clung to every curve of her body.

"Don't you _ever_ call me a liar," she spat, her voice suddenly deadly. Nitsuki nodded with wide eyes.

"O-okay…"

"Good." Izaki's eyes faded back as she went back to the desk. She crossed her left leg over her right and bent forward to examine a drawing in front of her. Abruptly she cursed. Nitsuki shot her a questioning glance, unsure of herself to speak or not. She was forming a response in her head as fast as she could while Izaki continued to curse softly to herself.

"What's wrong?" Izaki glanced at her momentarily before returning to her work.

"My hair as usual…" She sat back up and swept her hair back, tying it securely. Nitsuki would've responded to that but instead fell a victim to silence as she curled up on her bed. Through the darkness she counted the cracks on the wall. The door creaked open slowly, as if not to disturb the occupants of the room.

"It's me, un," whispered Deidara. Izaki looked up at the blonde before she looked down at Nitsuki. Pressing a finger to her lips she shook her head as she headed for her bed. Picking up her cloak she draped it over her arm and blew out the candle by her work station. The other candles flickered slowly, sputtering as their flames clung to the last string of life.

"Not here." Nitsuki heard the door shut with a click and footsteps retreating away from the room. What could those two possibly be talking about that Nitsuki couldn't hear…? Quietly she swung her legs over the side of the bed and waited till she couldn't perceive sound from footsteps anymore. Opening the door she padded out into the hall and down the general direction where Izaki had brought her from.

"What could be so private…?" Nitsuki mused. Sure, the orange-haired girl was a snoop and couldn't really mind her own business but still… The entrance to the Akatsuki lair stood open like a gaping hole. Quickly Nitsuki slipped through and followed the sound of faint voices in the distance. Darkness was already everywhere, the only light coming from the crescent moon. The towering pine trees cast eerie shadows around Nitsuki, creating illusions of predators around her.

"…Deidara…"

"Please, un…"

"I don't know…"

"I need your help, yea… I don't know how much longer I can take this, un… It's killing me inside." The voice were getting nearer as Nitsuki struggled to find her way through the blackness. She heard Izaki let out a low sigh.

"I don't…"

"You love her, un, and you loved Itachi before, yea. Why can't you help me, un?"

"I can't because…because it's…different…" Nitsuki paused outside of a large clearing where she could see Izaki silhouetted against the night. Her arms were crossed and Deidara stood across from her, sitting on a rock several feet in front of him. He was sitting cross-legged and fiddling with something that looked like clay.

"Different how, yea?"

"It just…it just…_is_…" Izaki fidgeted slightly.

"I love him, yea, and I don't know if he feels the same way, un. I'm…unsure, yea, of what to do because he hates me. I'm worried our next mission will be awkward, yea…" Deidara sighed, staring down at his clay.

"It will only be if you let it be. Don't let your emotions get in the way of battle, Deidara," Izaki tried to assure him.

"I know that, Izaki, yea! I just hate myself for feeling this way…un… It confuses me and I can't do anything about it, yea!" Deidara suddenly snapped. Izaki looked momentarily startled at his sudden outburst before returning to her stony expression.

"You must deal with it, Deidara."

"You sound just like Sasori, un."

"That's always such a nice compliment…" The sarcasm was clear in Izaki's voice as she leaned against a tree to her right.

"Look, un, does Sasori…feel the same way…? It seems wrong, yea, to feel this way about someone who is always there, un…and hurts you so much, yea…" Deidara finally questioned in a soft voice.

"Time will tell all, Deidara…"

"You know, yea," the blonde accused her.

"Maybe so, Deidara, maybe so…" Her tone was vague as she rubbed her eyes. "Can we please go back now? I'm tired…like insanely tired…"

"Hang on, yea; I have one more question…" Izaki groaned slightly but nodded anyways. "Do you like Nitsuki, un?"


	3. Chapter 3

**All That I've Got**

_**Written by RyoushintekiAikou AKA Hikaru**_

**Pairings:** Sasori x Deidara, Izaki x OC (OC x OC), Itachi x Izaki (Itachi x OC), Pein x Konan

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Yuri, violence, graphic blood, romance, strong language, and some disturbing mental images along the way. Rating may change as the story goes.

**Copyright:** I do not own Naruto or the Akatsuki organization. I do take copyright for Izaki Mukura and Nitsuki Misuru. This is purely for my, and the reader's, amusement.

- - -

"Do I have a choice?" She paused. "Actually, I do… But do I have to like her?"

"I meant…er…what's the name for liking someone in the non-friendship way, un?"

"Non-platonic…"

"In that way, yea…" Izaki seemed to stiffen slightly under the moonlight, her expression almost unreadable. Nitsuki waited with bated breath for Izaki's response.

"Deidara, why in the hell would you ask me such a ridiculous question?" Her tone was spiteful as she turned to glare at the blonde.

"I…un…"

"And especially when we have the topic of your question around," Izaki added with an even icier tone. Nitsuki froze where she was, a sense of hypothermia coming over her as Izaki turned her head slowly. She could practically feel the chill of Izaki's sapphire blue eyes as her gaze met Nitsuki's.

"H-h-hiya…" Nitsuki stammered with a slight wave. Izaki continued to glower at the girl until the orange-haired kunoichi was sure she was frozen inside.

"Why do I have absolutely no privacy around here?" Izaki muttered in contempt as she swept out of the clearing, never once looking back at Deidara or Nitsuki. The blonde stared after her, his mouth slightly agape. Nitsuki allowed her eyes to drop to the floor. She felt her face burning with heat despite the chill she felt.

"Well, un, it seems like Izaki is pissed, yea. I think she'll either be at base or out, un… I better get you back inside, though, yea. You're gonna freeze, un," Deidara sighed as he put away his clay and stood. Brushing off his cloak he headed over to Nitsuki who seemed to shrink away into the darkness.

"Does she really like me?" Nitsuki asked softly.

"It's hard to tell, un. It's like that with everyone, yea. She doesn't openly show affection, un, or any form of feeling. Her mind is like her last sanctuary, yea. It's always gonna be hard to tell, un," Deidara finally admitted.

"What's her story anyways?"

"Tomorrow, maybe, yea… I'm tired and you need to sleep probably, un." With that said Deidara took Nitsuki firmly by the arm and hauled her to her feet with surprising strength. He led her to the mouth of the Akatsuki lair which was, surprisingly, still open. He took her through the halls down to where Izaki's room was located. Pressing one finger to his lips he let go of Nitsuki's arm.

"What…?"

"Be quiet, un, you don't want to aggravate her right now, yea." He raised one hand and knocked lightly on the door.

"What do you need, Deidara?" The blonde quietly turned the doorknob and eased the door open gently.

"I want to drop Nitsuki off with you, yea."

"Sasori!" she yelled. The door diagonal from her swung open with a dull thud and the puppet master strode out.

"What are you yelling about this time?"

"I swear to you that if you don't keep Deidara away from Nitsuki those two are going to plan to overthrow all of us with their hyperactivity," Izaki snapped, finally looking over her shoulder from the desk. Sasori rolled his eyes and tapped his foot slowly.

"Sorry, I can't do that… Watching you suffer is priceless."

"I hate you so much right now you have no idea. Deidara, leave her here with me and I'll take care of it. Sasori, take Deidara out of my room. Or I will hurt someone," Izaki snapped. Nitsuki sulked into Izaki's room and Sasori retrieved Deidara in one swift movement. The door slammed shut again, leaving Nitsuki alone with the ever-temperamental Izaki.

"Night…" Nitsuki managed to whisper before she curled up on her bed and let her eyes close firmly. Izaki glanced at her for a moment before turning back to her work. Quietly she blew out the candle by the work station and headed for her bed. She sat in a fetal position against the corner of the room with her eyes half-open as her mind drifted to a close.

The next thing Nitsuki knew she was hit with a slant of bright sunlight. She let out a muffled groan as she lifted her head from her pillow. Across the room she saw Izaki sleeping with her eyes partially open. Stifling a yawn Nitsuki glanced out the window into the sparse lighting. Judging by the amount of sunlight it was probably around eight or nine in the morning. Across the room, a long yawn sounded as Izaki opened her eyes fully. She blinked slowly, seeming to take into account the different parts of her body. Seeming satisfied with the results she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"It's seven, if you were wondering. I have an internal clock," Izaki announced with a smug grin as she stood and stretched. She was wearing only a black tank-top with a black skirt with a slit down the side to allow her to move in combat. Mesh leggings fell to her ankles where she was barefoot at the moment.

"Damn…"

"I know; I sometimes hate it myself. Anyways…" She stretched a bit more before pulling on her mesh shirt over her tank top. Finding her Akatsuki cloak she put that on along with Japanese sandals in a pale indigo color. Her eyes looked tired as she pulled her hair back from her face.

"I feel like someone hit me in the head with a tree…"

"That's always a pleasant feeling. I wake up to it every day and then have to go through the day with that same old stupid feeling. Finally I actually escape it when I sleep. It's never-ending, honestly…" Izaki muttered as she buttoned up her cloak.

"You know, I think this is one of the longest natural conversations we've had," Nitsuki commented brightly.

"Way to ruin it, then…" Izaki turned to Nitsuki and glanced at her momentarily. "We should probably get breakfast for you by this point… I think Itachi and Kisame are already up. Come to think of it, Zetsu and Sasori are probably both awake as well. Maybe we'll catch Konan today, who knows?" With that she headed out of the room, letting Nitsuki trail behind her as they headed into the kitchen several doors down.

The sounds of something sizzling and water boiling reached Nitsuki's ears before the smells did. She could vividly pick out the smells of green tea, white rice, and many other foods before the sights met her eyes. Kisame stood leaning against the far wall eating raw fish and Sasori was making Gyoza by the sounds. Itachi was drinking tea with a blue-haired woman with porcelain skin and pale lilac eyes. Her head turned at the sound of Izaki's footsteps.

"Good morning," she greeted her curtly before staring at the wall.

"Well, happy morning to you to," she muttered as she went to finish the rice. Nitsuki stayed in a far corner almost out of sight. Never once did Izaki look back as she carefully measured water and rice. Once the rice was started she leaned against the countertop and closed her eyes.

"Having a bright morning, aren't you?" Sasori sneered as he continued on with his cooking.

"Screw you and burn in hell for all your life for all I care," Izaki retorted.

"Someone's in a foul mood this morning," Kisame shot back at her through mouthfuls of fish.

"Oh, go die." Izaki frowned as she rubbed her temples.

"It's so tempting to see how far we can push you before you do something totally uncalled for and irrational," Sasori told her with a smirk.

"This is so disturbing I can't stand it anymore." Just then the rice finished and she filled two bowls, leaving one on the counter, and headed out of the kitchen with hers and a pair of chopsticks.

"I think I killed her somewhat good mood about two minutes ago," Nitsuki mumbled, staring down at the floor.

"It's not that hard to do, actually," Sasori replied with boredom heavy in his tone. He loaded a plate with his finished meal and sat down to eat.

"What did she mean by 'disturbing' anyways…?" Nitsuki continued on.

"Izaki has a…gift…I guess you could call it. She wasn't named Shinen no Izaki Mukura for nothing. Her name literally translated means Izaki of the thought. It makes absolutely no sense but oh well. Her parents were slightly mentally challenged. She can read other people's thoughts as well as communicate that way. She can also manipulate people's thoughts against them and torment them into a slow, painful death," Sasori explained.

"Weren't her parents…proud…?" Sasori's expression hardened a fraction at Nitsuki's words before returning back to his natural calm.

"Her parents manipulated and hated her. Her father that her mother married was never her father. She was never happy. She was never loved. And in return she never loved," Sasori rasped in a cold voice. "It's not my place to share her life, though."

"Oh…" Nitsuki sighed. Konan stood and left the room without another word. Itachi didn't even look after her as she left. He simply continued to calmly sip his tea.

"Be ready to die if you ask her about her past, though," Itachi advised in a soft voice.

"Uhm…thanks…?"

"Anytime…" Nitsuki inwardly rolled her eyes and picked up the bowl left for her. She started to eat neatly with chopsticks. When she finished she rinsed out and washed her bowl in the sink before heading back to her room to find Izaki.

She found the black-haired kunoichi sitting on her bed with her chin in her hands. Her elbows were resting on her knees as she sat in a fetal position. Her eyes looked sunken and heavy as she let out a long sigh.

"You haven't been well…" Nitsuki commented softly with concern thick in her voice. Izaki managed a small smile.

"As I said before, I'm beyond help," Izaki replied in an even tone. Nitsuki stood there, dumbfounded as she gazed at her.

"What happened to you…?" she whispered in a soft voice. Izaki's eyes flickered onto her before she went back to staring at the ground.

"At which point in my life did what happen to me?"

"The time before you came to the Akatsuki," Nitsuki told her. Izaki stared off into the faint slanted beam of light that was slowly disappearing in the corner of the room.

"…I…I…" She paused before clearing her throat slightly. "Come sit." Nitsuki tentatively took a step forward to Izaki. "I won't kill you, I swear." The orange-haired girl cracked a smile and sat down next to her current mentor.

"This is going to be long, isn't it?"

"I'll try to be concise…" Izaki leaned her head back against the wall and let her arms rest next to her. "When I was born, my clan had passed a law within our complex that having any more children was forbidden. My cousin Lanai Mukura had cursed our family by craving more than he could ever have. He'd made a deal with Orochimaru—he was here before—that every seventh child born into our clan would be a test subject for his curse mark.

"My father was away on a trip to another village when my mother became pregnant. I never knew who my real father was. When I was born, it turned out I had a sister who was born only a few minutes after me. Her name is Mizuki. My father only loved Mizuki. He turned his back on me and poured all his love into his beautiful, _perfect_ daughter." Izaki's tone turned bitter as she practically spat out the world.

"Then what happened…?" Nitsuki asked in a very quiet voice. Izaki closed her violet eyes, her lips moving slowly as she struggled to continue her story. Her hands clenched and unclenched from fists.

"He loved her. We both grew up. I was seven when I received the curse mark from Orochimaru. For three years afterwards I trained hard to be a kunoichi to prove my clan wrong that I was simply a weapon for Orochimaru. It was never enough. Every achievement went over my head like it was nothing. So I gave in trying to be what everyone else wanted of me because I'd never be that. I couldn't be what others wanted because Lanai had ruined my life.

"So then I became hateful and bitter towards my clan. I turned my back on them and after I'd gone into a coma for about a year, I came out and had a final decision two months after. I was going to kill my clan. That's when I snapped. I turned fourteen, and, the month following, I slaughtered my clan. My sister was away on a mission. When she came back I was just about to leave.

"She cried for me. I never cried for her. I never cried for anyone. I'd only cried because I felt the absence of life and love within me when I was younger. I went on the run after I left Konoha and finally made the decision to join the Akatsuki," Izaki finished in a resentful sigh. Nitsuki's eyes were wide was she continued to stare at her. There were so many things she wanted to say but couldn't.

"I'm…sorry…" she finally managed to tell her in a broken voice.

"Sorry for what, Nitsuki? Sorry my parents were asses who couldn't give two shits about me? Sorry that I'm beyond help at this point? Sorry that I'm nothing like what anyone would've ever wanted from me? Sorry that my life has been a disaster since the second I came into meager existence?" Izaki inquired sarcastically. Her eyes opened slowly as she counted the cobwebs on the ceiling.

"Iie, Izaki…sorry that you never knew what love was…" Nitsuki said in a distant voice. She turned her head away from Izaki to stare at the door.

"Nitsuki…" Izaki struggled to find words as her gaze fell on the floor in front of her. "I…I…" She pushed the stray hair from her bun from her face and blinked rapidly. "I don't…I can't…" Her voice was uneven and hesitant. Nitsuki turned her head slowly to look at the confused kunoichi.

"Don't ever say you can't love someone. It's humanly possible for anyone." Her voice was suddenly serious as she looked directly into Izaki's eyes. The black-haired girl seemed to be paralyzed where she was. Nitsuki turned so she was facing Izaki, barely inches away from the girl.

"Nitsuki…" Carefully, the orange-haired girl managed to rearrange herself to be sitting with her fingertips barely brushing Izaki's.

"I see your soul in your eyes. You can't let go of love, no matter how hard you try." She leaned forward calmly, as if this happened every day, and gently placed her lips against Izaki's. In the beginning, Izaki didn't move. Slowly reality started to fall down on her as she realized what was happening. But she didn't try to change it. Instead, she softly kissed Nitsuki back.

The door to Izaki's room banged open at that moment. Izaki hadn't been paying attention to the thoughts around her and how dangerously close they'd been coming. It was far too late to turn back.


	4. Chapter 4

**All That I've Got**

_**Written by Ryou AKA Hikaru**_

**Pairings:** Sasori x Deidara, Izaki x OC (OC x OC), Itachi x Izaki (Itachi x OC), Pein x Konan

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Yuri, violence, graphic blood, romance, strong language, and some disturbing mental images along the way. Rating may be changed as the story goes.

**Copyright:** I do not own Naruto or the Akatsuki organization. I do take copyright for Izaki Mukura and Nitsuki Misuru. This is purely for my, and the reader's, amusement.

- - -

"Izaki," a terse voice snapped. Izaki turned her head away from Nitsuki to face Sasori. Fear darkened her eyes for only a second before she stood and headed for the door.

"I need to be alone." She barely managed to pass through the doorframe before Sasori's arm lashed out and caught her wrist.

"Let's talk, shall we?" With that he pulled her along outside of the Akatsuki lair. The crisp early morning air hit Izaki's face but she could care less at the moment. Sasori brought her all the way out to the middle of the forest where no one could hear anything they said. Izaki looked up at the sky, counting the clouds slowly in her head.

"What do you want now, Sasori?" she asked in a cold voice. The red-head regarded her through guarded mahogany eyes.

"I was going to ask you what I should do about Deidara since life is so complicated like that. But then I walk in on you kissing the girl you seemingly hated _and_ are supposed to train," Sasori muttered. Izaki scowled at the sky, cursing Sasori in her head.

"It was one kiss." Her voice didn't hold the same authority as she usually had when she spoke. Izaki knew she sounded weak and arguing with Sasori was futile.

"You're telling me it meant nothing to you when I can clearly read through your façade. Stop lying to yourself and to me. It doesn't do anyone any good," Sasori retorted. Izaki dropped her gaze to the tips of the thick pine trees around her.

"I didn't think it would go that far."

"You can read her thoughts. You can read actions just as well as I can. You of all people should've known what was going to happen," Sasori argued with a steely note in his voice.

"Are you _patronizing_ me, Akasuna no Sasori?!" Her voice was rising dangerously. Sasori quietly stared at her for a moment.

"Well…possibly..."

"I thought you wanted to talk to me about Deidara, not about my life and the way I should be living it."

"Fine, fine…yes…I did…slightly." Sasori finally admitted in a soft voice.

"What do you need, then?" Izaki mumbled as her eyes flitted momentarily to his face. The red-head's face was stony and expressionless but lingering in the depths of his eyes was the slightest hint of guilt. But that couldn't be right. She shook the thought off. Sasori was probably just exhausted from working on his puppets the previous night.

"What should I do?" His voice almost startled her as she stared at the grass near his feet.

"Hmm?"

"Why does he love me when I hurt him…?"

"I can't answer that," Izaki sighed as she glanced around her.

"…why does anyone love me--why should they…" Izaki was momentarily stunned before she managed a slow reply.

"Oh, well, shit…" Izaki muttered. She turned to face Sasori and sat on the ground carefully. "Okay…" She paused before speaking slowly. "I don't…know. I can't really tell you why. You'd have to talk to him yourself, you know. I'm not all that good at figuring out reasons for love. Nobody has ever figured it out, actually."

"Talking about feelings isn't a strong point for me, Izaki," Sasori reminded her curtly.

"It's not mine either." Izaki had her gaze on the forest floor at the beginning of their conversation but deliberately brought her eyes up. "I know that I'm feeling something more than I should for Nitsuki at the moment. That's what I do know so far. So I finally have told myself this. As much as I try to deny and resent it, it's there and it won't go away…"

"Would Deidara even listen if I tried talking to him about this? I doubt it. He probably sees me as cold and emotionless," Sasori mused.

"Well, besides the fact you yell at him and snap at him all the time and hurt him physically and emotionally—"

"I thought you were going to help me…"

"—he does like you because I talked to him last night," Izaki finished with a tiny smile. "I shouldn't tell you that but, hell, it's your life now and how you choose to continue on with it. Just don't scare him when you try to talk to him. Bring it up gently. But then again…you are who you are." Sasori nodded absently as a vague smile fluttered across his stoic features.

"Arigato, Izaki…"

"Just find me later if you need me."

"…I highly doubt another time like this will come…"

"Right, well, I hate you too."

"…thanks…"

"Anytime, Sasori, anytime…" Izaki responded with a brief smile. "Well, if you're not going to criticize me on my relationship matters any more, I'm going to go." She stood and brushed off her cloak.

"Actually, Izaki, I am. Dammit, Izaki, if you have to kill her, what in the name of hell will you do?" Sasori suddenly snapped.

"I have no clue. I intend to try my best to help her so it doesn't come to that…" Izaki answered with exasperation heavy in her voice.

"You know it's utterly hopeless, right?"

"…I'll bear that in mind…" Izaki replied smoothly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go help Nitsuki train." With that, she stood and left. Sasori's footsteps followed several moments after hers. Slowly, Izaki breathed in and out. There was nothing more that she wanted than to figure out what was bringing on all of this so…suddenly…

Halfway back to base she was greeted by the sight of Nitsuki sitting on a rock. She seemed to be crying as Izaki slowly approached her. Carefully, Izaki made her footsteps light so she wouldn't startle Nitsuki. Without a word she crouched down next to the girl.

"What's wrong, Nitsuki?" Izaki asked in a soft voice. The orange-haired girl looked up in surprise. When she saw the black-haired girl she started to cry harder.

"…I…" was all Nitsuki managed to cry out as she continued to sob. Izaki was close to speechless at this point. Never before had she dealt with a hysterical person before. Biting her lip she gently placed one hand Nitsuki's shoulder.

"Shh…it's alright…" she whispered as she rubbed small circles with her fingers into Nitsuki's shoulder, slowly moving onto her back.

"I…zaki…" cried the girl. "I…I…ca…n'…t…" Izaki let out a sigh as she continued to attempt to sooth the girl.

"It's alright, Nitsuki…breathe…gently…" she murmured. Slowly Nitsuki's sobs reduced into sniffles as she calmed down considerably. Gradually she was taking in normal breaths.

"I'm…sorry…" Nitsuki apologized.

"It's nothing to be sorry for, Nitsuki. What's wrong, though?" Nitsuki turned her head away from Izaki, trying to hide the embarrassment coming over her face.

"I…well…" She seemed to hesitate. "I thought…you know…you hated me and that's why you left and that you didn't really feel…the same…" Izaki squeezed her eyes shut and tried to pull together the defenses that kept the thoughts of others out.

"Nitsuki…I shouldn't… I shouldn't feel the same. And I don't know if I can let myself, either." She stood and started to walk away with her eyes on the ground.

"Wait!" Izaki hesitated where she was.

"What do you want?"

"I want…to live…and…and…I…" Nitsuki's voice seemed to break as she swallowed hard. "I want to know if it's ever possible for you to love me."

"Don't you ever ask that of me, Nitsuki. It's not right. I must continue to be the kunoichi that I am. I cannot…and shouldn't…waste my time with my own personal needs," Izaki retorted coldly. Nitsuki's eyes clouded at her harsh words.

"Please, Izaki…" The girl shook her head and started to back away like before. Her movements were hesitant as if she wasn't sure she was making the right move.

"I cannot. And if you do not wish to die at the end of the week then I suggest we train in a bit when my mind is a bit clearer than now," Izaki told her in a stern voice. Out of nowhere a blonde blur came flying into the clearing they were in.

"Sorry, Sasori-danna, un! I said I was sorry, yea!" Deidara shouted over his shoulder as he continued to scamper away. Izaki was too startled to move anywhere and thus ended up being bowled over by the explosives artist.

"I swear to you that if you do not get off me this instant I will literally snap your neck," Izaki spat, her tone complete drenched in hate. Nitsuki was looking onto the scene completely stunned. Izaki was on the ground underneath Deidara while the blonde himself was bracing himself by his arms straddling her waist.

"Oh, shit, sorry, yea…" Deidara mumbled.

"Then do something about it." The sound of Sasori's joints clicking entered the scene. Abruptly, the fast-paced clicks stopped to replaced by a foot tapping against the soft earth.

"Well this is slightly unexpected," a bored voice droned. Deidara hurriedly scrambled off of Izaki who hauled herself up without even batting an eyelash. She brushed herself off before starting to walk away. Before she even walked ten steps, she paused.

"I blame you, Sasori. You were chasing the damn idiot when he ran into me," Izaki called over her shoulder.

"Hn. Well, you should've moved." Izaki proceeded to flip off Sasori as she disappeared from the clearing. Nitsuki swallowed hard, complete stunned by the sudden turn of events. Sasori turned his burning gaze onto Deidara.

"…un…" Deidara stammered.

"Do not _ever_, and I mean _never_, blow up my shit again," Sasori snapped at the blonde. Deidara nodded dumbly before pursing his lips together slightly and looking away from the puppet master.

"…I'm sorry, yea…" The blonde left the clearing after those words left his lips in a sweet, soft breath of air. Nitsuki and Sasori were left alone in the clearing. The orange-haired girl turned to the red-head, not even daring to meet his eyes.

"Uhm…does Izaki…really…" Nitsuki swallowed before continuing, her throat suddenly extremely dry. "I mean, does Izaki…" She let out a long sigh. "What's the deal with Izaki and her view of love…?" Sasori sucked in a sharp breath of air.

"Izaki believes love is pointless and gets in the way of success. A bit like me in that way, I guess. She avoids human contact as much as possible. When she ends up in situations like she just did with Deidara, she tends to get defensive and threatening. It's simply to cover the fact she doesn't trust anyone to touch her in a romantic way," Sasori explained in a quiet voice. "The rest of the story is hers to tell if she so pleases. It's not my place to say."

"Arigato…" Nitsuki stood and trailed back towards the Akatsuki hideout. It was only halfway there she heard two voices conversing in low tones. Crouching down in a nearby bush she paused to listen. Sasori was heading back as well when he saw Nitsuki and heard the voices. Raising an eyebrow slightly he crouched next to her while masking his chakra.

"It sounds like Izaki and Orochimaru," Sasori commented in a very subdued voice. Nitsuki resisted the urge to jump a foot in the air and scream. Turning she saw Sasori next to her.

"…wow…" Returning her attention back to the conversation occurring in the clearing she listened intently and peeked through the bushes. Izaki stood facing the snow-white Sannin with a scowl set deeply into her features.


	5. Chapter 5

**All That I've Got**

_**Written by RyoushintekiAikou AKA Hikaru**_

**Pairings:** Sasori x Deidara, Izaki x OC (OC x OC), Itachi x Izaki (Itachi x OC), Pein x Konan

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Yuri, violence, graphic blood, romance, **strong language in this chapter**, **graphic images in this chapter**, and some disturbing mental images along the way. The rating may change as the story goes.

**Copyright:** I do not own Naruto or the Akatsuki organization. I do take copyright for Izaki Mukura and Nitsuki Misuru. This is purely for my, and the reader's, amusement.

- - -

"Look, Orochimaru—"

"I'd expect nothing less of you than Orochimaru-sama," the snake-man sneered. Izaki glared at him through murderous blood red eyes.

"I'm not joking around here anymore. Let me be. I need to train Nitsuki." The black-haired man chuckled softly before raising his enchanting eyes to Izaki's stony face.

"The only reason you want to train her, my darling, is the undeniable fact you do have some feelings for her," Orochimaru replied. Izaki gazed off into the distance before she spoke again.

"She is a student. I am the teacher. It was Leader-sama's unarguable order to train her. I will not deny that request," Izaki sighed. Her voice was verging on defeated as she answered the man.

"Izaki, why don't you just accept the facts?" Orochimaru drawled. Izaki crossed her arms before letting her eyes fall to the ground.

"The only fact there is would be the fact that I will need to train Nitsuki instead of wasting my time here," Izaki snapped.

"Always so defensive and temperamental…" the snake Sannin taunted her with a mock disappointed shake of his head.

"I think we're done here." She turned to leave when Orochimaru's hand shot out and wrapped around her right wrist.

"I don't think so." The composed look was slowly draining from Izaki's face. Instead she appeared to be on-edge.

"Don't _ever_ grab me." She twisted her arm around so she was holding Orochimaru's wrist before shoving him away from her. The snake-like man predicted her even before she pushed him. The snake that'd been wrapped around his arm wound itself around Izaki's arm, its fangs heading straight for her neck.

"I've seen enough." Sasori stepped out from the bushes and gave Orochimaru a flat stare. "Leave her be." Izaki had her head inclined away from the snake, her eyes looking away from the occupants of the clearing.

"Sasori…" Her voice was soft, but defeated at the same time.

"Another time, perhaps, Izaki. When you're not as weak as you are right now," Orochimaru sighed, vanishing with the snake.

"I can handle myself," Izaki protested quietly as she started to walk away. "I don't need to be saved every single time."

"Then start making the right decisions before you get yourself killed," Sasori replied irritably. Izaki's shoulders were slumped as she continued to walk.

"What are the right decisions anymore?" The rain was just starting to fall in little droplets. The sprinkles fell down Izaki's face as she didn't turn around. Sasori watched her without speaking for a long moment as the rain started to subside again from its brief appearance.

"The right decisions are the ones you know feel right." Izaki turned her head slightly.

"Nothing ever feels right for me. The only thing that ever did was losing my humanity." She paused. "Nitsuki…we'll train if you follow me." The orange-haired girl jumped up from where she was, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry…"

"Spying on me, ne? Well, I guess it's no surprise anymore," Izaki pondered before heading off again. Nitsuki hurried after her while Sasori returned to base. A few feet out from where Izaki had argued with Orochimaru there was a clear, dusty patch where they could train. The trees surrounding the area were thick and had good cover for sneak attacks.

"So…"

"Well, I'm going to see what you can do, first off. Since I haven't seen you being able to do anything except get awfully emotional…" Izaki declared. Nitsuki glared at her before drawing a kunai.

"If you were dying on the ground right now, I'd kill you."

"I doubt that, Nitsuki. Your feelings get in the way of battle far too much." Izaki flashed a quick devious smile before disappearing. "Let's go. Hit me with your best shot." Nitsuki carefully tried to map out her movements. A branch moved a centimeter on her left side, a leaf twitched behind her, something dodged around in a blur around a tree trunk in front of her, and a bush trembled to her right. Nitsuki closed her eyes before lunging out to her left diagonally and throwing the kunai.

She didn't just throw that one kunai. Instead she threw five or so in several different directions, all heading nowhere near straight. Izaki herself had to dodge like there was no tomorrow. She could easily predict the calculations filling Nitsuki's head, though.

"So close, yet so far…" taunted Izaki. Her eyes seemed to mock Nitsuki from the darkness as each kunai missed its intended target. Nitsuki gritted her teeth before following suit and vanishing into the branches. Her feet stirred no dust as she headed off. Forming a hand-sign she closed her eyes.

"Sand Clone Jutsu!" Exact clones of her formed from the dust in the center of the arena. They all followed her through the dense forest, seeking out Izaki. The only problem was the orange-haired kunoichi herself ended up with a kunai lodged in her thigh. "Ouch…" She dragged the kunai out regardless.

"You know, masking your chakra would be smart…" Izaki's voice continued to criticize her. Nitsuki bit her lip before forming yet another hand-sign.

"Sand Cyclone Jutsu!" _Focus_, she thought, _focus_! The little swirl of dust soon turned into a fairly well sized vortex. Nitsuki felt her chakra bleeding out of her. Blood seeped out of her leg wound.

"Very nice, Nitsuki… But can you catch me?" sneered Izaki. Nitsuki smirked briefly.

"Each grain of sand in that twister is as sharp as a kunai. It can slice through almost anything—including human flesh," Nitsuki explained quietly. Izaki wasn't fazed, though; she'd dealt with worse…

"Just try it." Nitsuki sent the hurricane twisting and turning through the trees, cutting through leaves and branches. The whirlwind subsided after sweeping through the edge of the surrounding forest. The orange-haired kunoichi let out a sigh as she slumped down against the trunk of the massive tree she was currently standing on.

"What the hell…?" Nitsuki mused. She usually didn't miss. Izaki appeared next to the girl with an impassive look on her face. Sliding down from her left cheekbone, though, was a small droplet of blood. There was a tiny cut on her face.

"You got me very briefly once." Her voice was neither approving nor critical. Nitsuki stared at her through wide eyes.

"So…"

"You're absolutely horrible at stealth and chakra control. I could go through a whole list, but for now I think I've seen enough today," Izaki continued. Her lips were twitching slightly and she looked like she'd run a mile because her forehead was thinly covered in perspiration.

"Did I do at least ok…?" Nitsuki asked in a tiny voice. Izaki gazed off into the distance before looking back at the girl. Her expression gave away nothing as well as her eyes.

"If you want a self-esteem boost, sure, you did an alright job. Let's go back to base." Izaki leapt lightly off the tree branch and walked briskly back with Nitsuki stumbling along behind her.

Once they were back at base, Izaki vanished with a bathrobe and clean clothes as well as a towel. Nitsuki could care less. She sat down on the edge of her bed before making the decision to shower. Heading to the closet to grab a towel, she found one and went into the large bathroom.

Vaguely she heard the sound of water hitting tile. Turning around a wall she saw a door leading to where the shower sounds were coming from marked with the Japanese character for girls and across the way another shower facility for boys apparently. Entering the door to her right, she closed it without a sound.

Slipping off her clothes she sighed and went into the showers with her towel around her. It was only when she stepped around the corner did she see Izaki standing there. She could only see Izaki's back, but the girl seemed to know someone else was there. Without turning around the girl shut off the shower and grabbed her bathrobe.

"Hidan, you fucking pervert if that's you I'm going to punch your face in," Izaki hissed as she managed to get the robe around her. Turning around she saw Nitsuki. Raising an eyebrow she let out a long sigh.

"…sorry…"

"You scared the shit out of me."

"As I said a second before, I'm sorry." Izaki shrugged.

"What difference does it make?" The cloth of her bathrobe slid off her left shoulder, revealing numerous fading scars. Her skin was pale and she was extremely thin. Nitsuki tried not to stare at the near-white patch of skin showing, but instead at Izaki's face.

"I don't know." Izaki quickly managed to cover her shoulder again, looking away from Nitsuki.

"Do not stare. If you stare at me while I shower I'm gonna have to kill you."

"…that's…disturbing slightly…" Nitsuki stammered, staring down at the tiled flooring. Izaki let out a muffled cough.

"I'm not proud of my body, Nitsuki, if you didn't already know that." She couldn't miss the bitter tone in her current sensei's voice. The orange-haired girl shrugged her shoulders.

"It doesn't matter." Izaki let out a heavy sigh and untied her bathrobe.

"Don't stare at me for all eternity. I don't even like to shower with people around. I don't even shower when Konan is in here and doesn't even give two shits if I'm here. All she ever says in here is 'Pein this' and 'Pein that'," Izaki muttered as she slid off the bathrobe. Nitsuki first saw her torso.

Scars covered her back and neck as well as her stomach and arms. Some even overlapped. Her breasts were even scarred as well. There were even bruises covering her ribs, back and sternum. Izaki was looking anywhere but at Nitsuki. The orange-haired girl could easily understand by this point why she never wanted anyone to see her.

Sliding the bathrobe completely off, Izaki stared down at the floor, her wet hair not even moving from her back. Her legs were covered in the markings from her chest as well as bruised several times. One of her legs even looked like it had been broken and not set right. There was a black snake burned onto her left ankle.

"I understand now, Izaki…" Nitsuki turned around so she could shower. When she heard the water of Izaki's shower, she slid off her towel and hung it up on her right on a peg. The water felt scalding hot—just the way she liked it—as it slid across her tanned skin. Watching the droplets fall off of her made her think about how Izaki probably didn't even look anywhere but at the wall while she showered.

"Nitsuki…" The girl turned at the sound of Izaki's voice. The girl herself had her head turned slightly towards Nitsuki while the hot water ran down her body. Nitsuki gazed at Izaki's face.

"Hai…?"

"Just…nothing…" Izaki shut off the water for her shower and reached for her bathrobe. She carefully wrapped it around herself, covering her bruises and scars. Nitsuki watched her silently.

"Does it have to be nothing…?" Nitsuki murmured. Izaki kept her eyes low as she started to walk away.

"Who knows?" Abruptly the water for Nitsuki's shower stopped. The orange-haired kunoichi wrapped her towel around herself before padding over towards Izaki. She visibly stiffened at the sudden turn in events.


End file.
